Sunday, May 31, 2015

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~
It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

This week was a roller coaster. Monday we had the day off work because of Memorial Day. We needed that day to rest from the weekend before. Wednesday started Armchair BEA. I didn't fully decide to participate in that until the weekend before so I didn't really have posts scheduled and formatted like I normally would have. Thursday afternoon, my aunt and uncle were involved in a car accident with an 18 wheeler. He died from chest injuries due to the accident, and she is in the hospital with broken bones up and down her entire left side of her body as well as a broken right leg. We didn't find out until about midnight Thursday night. Friday after work my sister and I traveled to Mobile to be with my grandparents and my mom. We got back home around 8:30 Saturday night. He makes the 5th child (out of 9) that my grandparents have lost. Please keep them in your prayers.

Monday: May EOM Wrap Up
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday
Thursday: Review of The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler
Friday: Review of All the Rage by Courtney Summers
Saturday: Discussions Only We Know (maybe)

Don’t forget to sign up for the 2015 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15, 2015 to sign up. Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with an end of the year giveaway too! Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different...

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt - with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy...

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.

But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive.

In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight.

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

Friday, May 29, 2015

Character Chatter

Asking me to pick a favorite character is like…okay I’ve got no analogy for that. Let’s just say it’s impossible. So to help myself out, I’ll focus on my favorite character that I’ve read so far this year and then a few character traits that I think are cliché.

Darrow from Red Rising by Pierce Brown – Darrow goes through A LOT in this book. He starts out as a guy who just wants to do his job, do it well, and provide for his family. But he’s forced into a situation where he loses what he wants most and his eyes are opened to the lies the government has told. So he has to decide whether to be a part of bringing down the government and exposing their lies or ignoring it all and letting the sacrifices of those around him be for nothing. In the process, Darrow completely changes who he is. He goes undercover, and we know how hard maintaining a cover identity while not losing your true self can be. Throughout the book, Darrow makes bad choices as well as good ones. He struggles. He battles. He strategizes. He mourns. He has so much going on around him and so much going on inside him. He is multilayered and alive.

Now some character clichés:

The gay best friend of the opposite sex

Atheists/Agnostics

The crazy Christian

The bad boy who sleeps around until he finds the perfect woman for him

I know there are more character clichés out there, but I’m drawing a blank right now. These are the ones that have caused me the most frustration lately.

Blogging Q & A

I guess these aren't really questions I have so much as advice I'd give to someone just starting out.

Spend some time thinking about why you wanted to blog in the first place. Write those reasons down. This is so that when a blogging slump happens you’ll remember what you wanted to do this in the first place. Often times, I’ve realized that I end up in a slump because I’m not staying true to the original reason I started blogging.

Don’t get caught up in the numbers. Number of posts, number of books read per year, number of reviews, number of page views, number of comments, number of followers, number of ARCs…it can get very overwhelming very quickly. I know that’s so easier said than done, but it’s true. All the numbers did was stress me out. They’re used as benchmarks and not rigid determinations of your value as a blogger.

Try not to get caught up in comparing yourself to other bloggers. Instead of being the one jealous and seething when another blogger reaches a milestone or gets an ARC that you really wanted and didn’t get approved for, don’t be that girl (or boy). Just be happy for their success. Your turn will come.

I do suggest posting regularly. And by regularly, I don’t mean every day. I just mean consistently. Like 3 days a week. Or 2 days a week. Or whatever you decide to do. Just try to be consistent about it.

Try to get ahead on posts. I realize that this is more of a personality thing than anything else, but I can’t tell you how much relief I feel being scheduled ahead. I don’t have to blog by the seat of my pants. I don’t have to rush to finish my books. I don’t have to rush through my book review. I don’t have to scramble to prep my posts. And the beauty is that I can rearrange my schedule at any point that I want.

Try to write your reviews within 48 hours of finishing your book. The more time that goes by, the less you remember the details. I’ve found that if I start another book before I’ve typed my review of the one I just finished, I’m more likely to forget important details.

Be the change you wish to see. If you feel like people aren’t visiting your blog, then you need to spend some time visiting other blogs. If you think people don’t comment enough on your posts, make sure you’re commenting on others posts. If you want to get more followers, follow a bunch of other bloggers. Basically, do to others as you would have them do to you.

Use a commenting system. Do a little bit of research about this. Personally as you can see, I use Disqus. It not only notifies me when someone leaves a comment, but it also notifies them when I reply. I want to have a conversation with my readers as much as possible, and that’s not going to happen if they have no idea that I replied to their comment and what I said.

Use Google Calendar. I love being able to move my posts around and see what’s scheduled. You can color coordinate. I use this calendar for EVERYTHING!

Turn off Captcha/Word Verification. Trust me...anyone who visits your blog and tries to comment will be thanking you for this.

Turn your mobile setting on. This allows your blog to be viewed from a smartphone, tablet, etc in a format that works better for a mobile device.

I could keep going with advice, but I feel like I might have done too much already. I wouldn’t worry too much about blog design or getting too fancy up front. You’ve got time to learn about that along the way. Plus I don’t feel like I’m an expert in that area. I totally want to do a blog redesign, but I want to do it myself (instead of paying someone to do it) and I just haven’t felt like taking that on yet.

Which character has been your favorite this year? What about blogging advice? Got some to add to my list? Got any questions for me? Feel free to ask. Let me know!

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Visual Expressions

Um…I’ve read Blankets by Craig Thompson. And I’ve been intending to read Walking Dead, but since that was a gift for my husband, I’ve been letting him read that first. And well…he’s not finished. That’s the extent of my graphic novel interaction. I don’t read comics. But when you say “visual” I think about TV/movies. I watch a lot of TV. My favorite TV shows based off the printed word: Daredevil, Smallville, Vampire Diaries (stopped watching about two seasons ago), I watched The 100 for a bit but couldn’t really get into it. Elementary, but if we’re talking Sherlock Holmes, I prefer the BBC’s version, Sherlock. I did love The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and Emma Approved. The Morganville Vampires was pretty good. And I stopped watching The March Letters because I didn’t like the direction they were headed in.

Social Media

I did an entire post about Social Media Overload a while back. And here’s the thing, I have my posts scheduled to Tweet and post to Google+ automatically. My twitter account is linked to my blog’s Facebook page and what is tweeted is automatically posted to Facebook. The only manual posting I have to do is Pinterest and Goodreads really. While I love blogging, I do sometimes find that trying to interact over all of these social media sites can get really overwhelming for me and take away from legit time reading which is limited enough as it is. I’m not really that social of a person, and for now, I’m happy with the way that I blog and the amount of time I spend on social media.

What visual expressions do you like when it comes to books? And what about social media? Are you a crazy fan or only do it because you have to? Let me know!

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

I wasn’t sure I was going to participate in Armchair BEA this year, but what can it hurt, right? Since I’ve participated in the past, you can read my introduction posts from 2012, 2013, and 2014. I won’t be repeating the same questions I always answer.

Introduction

What book are you currently reading? Ok so this is a total cheat questions since I have a “Currently Reading” widget on my left sidebar, but I’m reading Ruin & Rising (The Grisha, # 3) by Leigh Bardugo & Prodigy (Legend, # 2) by Marie Lu.

What book are you most looking forward to reading this summer The Heart of Betrayal (Remnant Chronicles, # 2) by Mary E Pearson. I loved her unique choices in The Kiss of Deception and I am so ready to see what she decides to do with book 2.

What is your theme song? Well not the theme song of my life or anything, but Somewhere Only We Know by Keane is where my blog title came from.

What does diversity mean to you? So for those who might not know, this year’s theme for Armchair BEA is diversity. And this is why I almost didn’t participate this year. Now don’t go jumping to conclusions. I’m not discriminating here. As a matter of fact, it’s quite the opposite. I don’t determine which books I want to read based on the race, gender, age, etc of an author. I might decide not to read a particular author based off their actions, but this is rare. Who wrote the book isn’t as important to me as what the book’s about.

But diversity in books doesn’t just have to do with the author. It has to do with content, characters, subject matter, genres, and probably many other things I can’t even think about right now. I do read a variety of genres. I mostly read young adult and new adult books, but I occasionally will read adult books. I read fantasy, romance, science fiction (as long as there’s not too much science), dystopian, post-apocalyptic, contemporary, occasionally historical fiction and mystery/thriller. While there is a lot of variety within those genres, there’s also a lot of repetitiveness as well. Here’s a shocker for you (though not really if you’re a regular reader of my blog), but I also read non-fiction. I read self-help and religious books. I read motivational books—essentially things that I feel like will help me be a better person and a better Christian.

But here’s where things get tricky. I read for fun—even the non-fiction books I choose to read. I read what I’m interested in. I don’t enjoy time travel books usually, so I rarely read those. If I do decide to give one a try then it has to be because something else about the book pulled me in. I don’t enjoy books that are heavily based in science. While I do enjoy the “what if” aspects of science fiction, I don’t enjoy science in general and when things get technical and descriptive in this area, I run for the hills.

Typically readers put themselves in the main narrator or main character’s shoes. They consciously or subconsciously imagine that the events of the book are happening to them. They put themselves into the character. Does the character behave the way that they would? Does the character think the way that they do? Do they agree with the character’s decisions? Do they feel the same things that the character feels? Personally I’ve found that this is a little harder to do when the character is vastly different from myself. I occasionally read books narrated by and about male main characters. I’ve read books where the main character was a different race from me. I won’t say that this is something I necessarily seek out, but I’m not turned off from a book because of it either.

As a white, married, Christian female, I personally do not read LGBT. I don’t seek it out—as a matter of fact, I avoid it—and I don’t see that ever changing. No amount of culture change, book recommendations, or even persecution of any kind is going to change my desire not to read that genre. Being told that I need to explore diversity isn’t going to change that. This isn’t about discrimination or hate or any of that jazz. It’s about reading what I want to read when I want to read it.

Now on to the next topic...

Library Love

Um, I’ve been inside my local library maybe twice. The selection for young adult books was so small that I didn’t see hardly anything to interest me. Not much was available that was already on my TBR list. I live in a small town so the library is really small as well. It’s kind of sad actually. That being said, I also didn’t spend any time talking to the librarian. Whoops.

But here’s the thing, I’m from Generation Y. I don’t like talking to people if I can find what I need on my own. I don’t like going to a physical location if I can find what I need on the internet. So…that being said, I do utilize Overdrive/Camilla.Net e-library. I’m so thankful that my library is set up for this service. So kudos small town library for that!

What do you guys think? Do you read books based on diversity? Do you use your local library that much? Let me know!

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

I always hesitate to do ten actual beach reads, because here’s the thing…I don’t go to the beach often enough to actually read ten books. BUT here are the top ones going in my bag with me on my trip to the beach next week or that I wish were going in my bag

PS I Still Love You – Jenny Han

The Fill-In Boyfriends – Kasie West

The Heart of Betrayal – Mary E Pearson

Paradise Road – CJ Duggan

Forever Summer – CJ Duggan

The Natural History of Us - Rachel Harris

Chasing Impossible – Katie McGarry

What books do you plan to take with you to the beach this summer? Let me know!

Which series enders did you finish? Link the up below. Don't forget to include the title, your name, & your blog name (Ex: Requiem - Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know) Also, the April giveaway runs from May 25th - June 25th. On June 25th we will use random.org and the linky entries to pull a winner.

Sunday, May 24, 2015

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~
It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

This was a fast week. Husband and I were off work on Thursday. We had an ultrasound and doctor's appointment that morning. Then we went to Walmart to take some gender reveal pictures. Thursday afternoon, I rode with my sister and nephew to Mobile to go to our cousin's graduation. They had a party for her. And then we spent Thursday night at my grandparents' house. Friday we hung out with aunt and uncle and cousins and played cards most of the day. Went back and spent the afternoon and night with the grandparents again. Saturday morning was a baby shower for my cousin and his wife. That was fun. Monday is Memorial Day for us in the US. And because I know you're dying to know...

Don’t forget to sign up for the 2015 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15, 2015 to sign up. Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with an end of the year giveaway too! Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--New York Times bestselling authors Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher are back with the much-anticipated, nail-biting sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Never, Never.

“Never forget that I was your first real kiss. Never forget that you’ll be my last.
And never stop loving me between all of them.
Never stop, Charlie.
Never forget.”

Silas races against time as more truths unravel, while others twist tighter together. And now, the stakes are higher as Silas’ control slips and others begin to point fingers. Charlie is in trouble and he must be the one to bridge the chasm between their past and their present. Because somewhere between I love yous and Never Nevers and Never Agains, a truth they can't imagine, beckons to be found.

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible.

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

I’ve really enjoyed every single Katie McGarry book that I’ve read. And now that she’s swapped series to something very different, I feel 100% confident adding her to my auto-buy list. I was really intrigued with the idea of a young adult series based around a motorcycle club. Personally, I’ve not been exposed to that culture very much throughout my life (aside from what you see on TV). And Katie McGarry didn’t do me wrong. I was hooked quickly and pretty much read until I finished.

As the description says, Emily grew up not having anything to do with her biologically father. Her mother gets married when she’s young and her would-be-new-stepfather decides to make it official and adopt Emily as well. Emily’s still curious about her biological father (Eli) and after asking questions about him, her mother agrees to let him come visit once a year. Even though Emily knows who he is, she doesn’t really know him except that he’s in a motorcycle club that her mother fears and he is covered in tattoos. When Emily’s parents are notified that Eli’s mother has passed away, Emily is forced into going to Kentucky to visit Eli’s hometown. Only things aren’t as they appear. Olivia (Eli’s mother) is still alive, although losing her battle with cancer. Emily learns that Eli and her mother both have been keeping secrets from her, and she’s determined to find out what those secrets are. Plus this motorcycle club isn’t the gang that Emily’s built up in her mind or what her mother has led her to believe. Emily doesn’t really want to be there, but she has to learn about this side of her life.

The description hits the nail on the head when it says that all Oz wants is to be accepted into the club, Reign of Terror. He’s grown up being around the club his whole life. His father is a member, and Eli and Cyrus (Eli’s father) are just as much family to him as anyone he’s blood related to. He’s so close to getting prospected that he can taste it. But while Emily is in town, his one job is essentially to babysit her. He’s supposed to make sure that no one harms her plus keep her as far away from those secrets Eli’s been keeping from her as possible. Part of the trouble is, Oz isn’t even sure what the whole truth is himself.

Emily and Oz have an immediate attraction to each other, but they also have one of those antagonistic relationships that I love so much. All Oz can see is that Emily’s presence is upsetting those he cares about most. So as far as he’s concerned, she can go right back where she came from. Emily can feel Oz’s resentment and she responds accordingly. But the two are thrown together for an extended period of time and even though there’s an antagonism about the relationship, Emily trusts Oz—more than pretty much everyone else around her during this time. So defenses start to soften and attraction begins to win over.

I was worried that the big secret between Eli and Rachel (Emily’s mother) would turn out to be something small that they could have just explained to Emily from the beginning and prevented a bunch of suspense and drama. But I was pleasantly surprised with what Katie McGarry decided to do with this aspect of the story. I didn’t predict everything, and I had that sense of needing to go back and reread to see if I missed anything. I do think that had Eli and Rachel been upfront with Emily from the beginning, that would have been easier on everyone, but I could see why they chose not to be.

The side characters all felt very alive. Chevy, Razor (who I can’t wait to read about next), Stone, and Violet were all easily likeable and characters that I want to know more about. Even the adult crowd felt flushed out and alive: Eli, Olivia, Cyrus, Oz’s parents.

Favorite quotes:

-“Isn’t it always the things that you can’t see that hurt you?”

-“I’m scared of a ton of things and all of them have to do with losing the people I love.”

-“Trust me to chase your monsters away.”

Nowhere But Here does have some language and some mild sexual scenes—nothing too graphic. But I really want to applaud Katie McGarry for having another book where the couple doesn’t go all the way in a genre where it is increasingly popular for the characters to cross those lines.

Overall, I really adored this book. The characters were alive. And I loved the love/hate relationship between Emily and Oz. They were an easy couple to root for in my opinion. The secondary characters were all just as alive, and I can’t wait to learn more about them throughout the other books in the series. I think the big secret was handled in a way that I could get behind. And I just love Katie McGarry’s writing. Nowhere But Here gets 4.5 Stars from me. Have you read Nowhere But Here? What did you think? Let me know!

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--On the night before they leave for college, Clare and Aidan only have one thing left to do: figure out whether they should stay together or break up. Over the course of twelve hours, they'll retrace the steps of their relationship, trying to find something in their past that might help them decide what their future should be. The night will lead them to friends and family, familiar landmarks and unexpected places, hard truths and surprising revelations. But as the clock winds down and morning approaches, so does their inevitable goodbye. The question is, will it be goodbye for now or goodbye forever?

This new must-read novel from Jennifer E. Smith, author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, explores the difficult choices that must be made when life and love lead in different directions.

I've yet to read a Jennifer E Smith book. I've wanted to. They're all on my TBR list. But I just haven't had a chance. I've got to change that. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--American life can be excessive, to say the least. That’s what Jen Hatmaker had to admit after taking in hurricane victims who commented on the extravagance of her family’s upper middle class home. She once considered herself unmotivated by the lure of prosperity, but upon being called “rich” by an undeniably poor child, evidence to the contrary mounted, and a social experiment turned spiritual was born.

7 is the true story of how Jen (along with her husband and her children to varying degrees) took seven months, identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence.

Food. Clothes. Spending. Media. Possessions. Waste. Stress. They would spend thirty days on each topic, boiling it down to the number seven. Only eat seven foods, wear seven articles of clothing, and spend money in seven places. Eliminate use of seven media types, give away seven things each day for one month, adopt seven green habits, and observe “seven sacred pauses.” So, what’s the payoff from living a deeply reduced life? It’s the discovery of a greatly increased God—a call toward Christ-like simplicity and generosity that transcends social experiment to become a radically better existence.

My friend, Kay, recommended 7 to me a while back. Her Bible class group went through it and she really enjoyed it. I’ve had it on my TBR list for at least a year if not more. I finally saw that the e-library had it available on audiobook and so I jumped on it.

Some background information though might be important. My husband and I live in a 1800ish square foot house built in the 1960s. Even before we married, 6 years ago, we’ve been working to renovate the house. It’s a slow process—even slower because we actually live in the house. We’ve painted. We’ve replaced. We’ve pulled out. We’ve thrown away. Oh and we’ve painted some more. One thing that was not a priority in the 1960s apparently was storage. Our closets are tiny. The kitchen is small (though not tiny), but the kitchen cabinets are tiny. A regular size box of cereal or bag of chips will not fit in one of our cabinets. We can stack one regular sized canned product on top of another. That’s about as tall as most of our cabinets are. The shelves are not adjustable. But it’s just the two of us, right? (For now.) And all things are relative. While I sit here and complain about the storage space available in our house, the real problem is that we have too much stuff with nowhere to put it. After my dad visited the Philippines on a mission trip where most people he encountered live in bamboo houses, and we heard through the grapevine about a family in Africa who was trying to get enough money together to build a mud house I started re-evaluating how blessed I am over the lack of storage space I have. All of this has had me thinking about my own personal excess in life. Enter 7.

The title and description pretty much sum this book up perfectly. The author, Jen Hatmaker, had a poor child temporarily staying in her house comment on how rich she and her family was. This really stuck with her. With some direction/motivation from something a friend of hers was doing, the idea of 7 was born. As the description says, she identified 7 areas of excess in her life: food, clothes, spending, media, possessions, waste, and stress. Each area was designated a month—30 days—of focus on reducing the excess. Again…repeating the description above, but 1) Food – Only eat 7 foods; 2) Clothing – Only wear 7 articles of clothing; 3) Possessions – Give away 7 things each day; 4) Media – Eliminate the use of 7 media sources; 5) Waste – Adopt 7 green-living habits; 6) Spending – Only spend money in 7 places; 7) Rest – Observe “7 sacred pauses” each day.

One thing that I like about 7 is that Jen Hatmaker isn’t trying to project this experiment on any and every one. She simply saw 7 areas in her life that she could cut back on and set out on her own personal experiment that she just so happened to write a book about, documenting her experiences. Sure she learned some very valuable lessons each month, and sure she would recommend those lessons to anyone, but she’s not saying throughout this book “you need to try this”. Of course, friends and family and strangers who have heard about her experiment have decided to try it for themselves, but this isn’t something that she’s projecting onto other people.

I loved the lessons that Jen Hatmaker learned, and I really do want to implement some of these ideas into my own life. There are so many things lying around my house that aren’t being used by me that someone else might be able to benefit from. I have clothes upon clothes upon clothes that I don’t wear. Let’s face it, a large portion of those clothes currently don’t even fit. I’m thankful that my life isn’t as busy as some. But yet I often find myself feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and exhausted mentally if not physically. Implementing practices that will lead to a more “rest”-filled life sounds like heaven. Point being…there are definitely areas I want to make some changes in my life to cut back on excess as well.

During the time she was writing this book, Jen Hatmaker (I keep wanting to call her “Jen” like we’re friends) and her husband, Brandon, were in the process of adopting two Ethiopian children. All of the sections in this book related to her adoption were particularly moving to me. When she discusses being completely disgusted with her natural born children throwing out almost a pound of chicken fingers simply because they did not have ketchup to go with them when her soon to be adoptive children likely went to bed with hungry bellies was particularly emotional. And even more than that, during the last month—the Rest month—when Jen (I’m rolling with it) and Brandon were both struck with a strong desire and need to pray for their adoptive children (not even knowing who these children would be exactly), and then she finds out that the exact day they were pressed with this need is the exact day the 5 year old little girl they ended up adopting was being abandoned at the orphanage. Now that…that got me for sure. Moments like this were sprinkled throughout the book, and I’m thankful for getting to experience this book and see God work in the lives of people I don’t know and have never met. It warms my heart and builds my faith.

Ultimately I think of all the blessings that I’ve been given stewardship over in my own life, and I have to ask myself whether I’m being a good steward or not. And that’s one thing that 7 helped me to do—to realize how much work I have left to do. I highly recommend 7 to anyone who is feeling overwhelmed in their lives. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Cut back. Give away. Donate. Repurpose. 7 gets 4.5 Stars from me. Have you read 7? What did you think? Let me know!

Also, side note...the narrator, Rebecca Gallagher, of the audiobook did such a good job that I just KNEW it had to be Jen Hatmaker reading the book herself. Yet when I went to double check that fact, I realized it was someone else entirely which means I was highly impressed.

Sunday, May 17, 2015

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~
It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

No much to report this past week. Quiet weeks are good. Husband got my laundry room floor and trim finished. He still wants to replace the window, and he needs to build some shelves for storage. I'm so excited about that. I've also start feeling some flutters over the past week and that's one of the coolest things ever.

Don’t forget to sign up for the 2015 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15, 2015 to sign up. Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with an end of the year giveaway too! Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Practice Makes Perfect.

Everyone at Hundred Oaks High knows that career mentoring day is a joke. So when Maya Henry said she wanted to be a rock star, she never imagined she’d get to shadow *the* Jesse Scott, Nashville’s teen idol.

But spending the day with Jesse is far from a dream come true. He’s as gorgeous as his music, but seeing all that he’s accomplished is just a reminder of everything Maya’s lost: her trust, her boyfriend, their band, and any chance to play the music she craves. Not to mention that Jesse’s pushy and opinionated. He made it on his own, and he thinks Maya’s playing back up to other people’s dreams. Does she have what it takes to follow her heart—and go solo?

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--The capital has fallen.

The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Red-hot author Miranda Kenneally hits one out of the park in this return to Catching Jordan's Hundred Oaks High.

Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She’s on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she’s made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother’s scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.

Now Parker wants a new life.

So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three? Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?

But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

World After picks up almost immediately where Angelfall left off. Penryn’s just waking up from being paralyzed by the scorpion sting. Raffe thinks she’s dead—everyone around her thinks she’s dead. And so when she wakes she’s pretty much treated like a freak who’s come back from the dead. It just so happens that Paige, Penryn’s sister, is also treated like a freak because of the surgeries that the angels did on her. And then well, Penryn’s mom pretty much is crazy. So that rounds out their whacky family.

And to add to the crazy, Paige can’t keep any food down. Penryn’s afraid of what exactly Paige might have a craving for. And as a result, Paige sets out on her own and Penryn has to go hunting her down again. In the meantime, Raffe is still trying to get his wings back from Beliel while keeping his new demon wings a secret from the other angels.

I have to say that I didn’t love World After as much as Angelfall because Penryn and Raffe are separated for the majority of the book. We all know that I’m a sucker for romance. I mean 95% of the books that I read I’m looking for that romantic relationship. So Penryn and Raffe not being together wasn’t as enjoyable for me to read. Penryn was lucky enough to experience some of Raffe’s past memories through his sword which is still in her possession. The sword is now bonded to Penryn, and as part of the bond the sword is determined to teach Penryn how to use her properly using some of Raffe’s memories as teaching exercises. This showed Penryn more of Raffe and only served to increase her feelings for him.

I really enjoyed the moment that they finally reunite, and I actually liked the fact that they didn’t just jump into “everything’s okay now” mode because these two still have a lot to work out between them before they can have a true relationship. I loved seeing the trust and dependence that’s already built up between them. And I can’t wait to see how this plays out in End of Days.

Favorite quotes:

-It’s painful to see that people prefer a bad guy who looks like an angel to a good guy who looks like a demon.

-Sometimes, I just have to let go and let my inner Mom out.

-“A true warrior would have retrieved her sword first before doing personal business.” “I’m all about personal business. Every battle I have is personal.”

World After was a good middle book for a trilogy. It wasn’t nearly as good for me as Angelfall because of the amount of time Penryn & Raffe spent apart, but I look forward to that not being the case in End of Days. I don’t know that the overall storyline progressed much in World After, but I wasn’t annoyed or frustrated through the entire reading of it either. World After gets 4 Stars. Have you read World After? What did you think? Let me know!

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Falyn Fairchild can walk away from anything. Having already left her car, her education, and even her parents, the daughter of the next governor of Colorado is back in her hometown, broke and waiting tables for the Bucksaw Café. After every shift, Falyn adds to her shoebox of cash, hoping to one day save enough to buy her a plane ticket to the only place she can find forgiveness: Eakins, Illinois.

The moment Taylor Maddox is seated in Falyn’s section at the Bucksaw, she knows he’s trouble. Taylor is charming, breaks promises, and gorgeous even when covered in filth—making him everything Falyn believes a hotshot firefighter to be. Falyn isn’t interested in becoming another statistic, and for a Maddox boy, a disinterested girl is the ultimate challenge.

Once Falyn learns where Taylor calls home, everything changes. In the end, Maddox persistence is met with Falyn’s talent for leaving, and for the first time, Taylor may be the one to get burned.

I've enjoyed the previous books in this series. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

You know, you guys will probably think I’m crazy. But I don’t really care all that much about meeting authors. Granted, that one time I met Richelle Mead was pretty cool. But I mean just in general, I’m like cool if I do, cool if I don’t. So that being said, I guess here are the ones that I’d actually make an effort to meet.

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Jay Crownover’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling Marked Men series continues with the much anticipated story of southern charmer and certified criminal Asa Cross.

Starting over in Denver with a whole new circle of friends and family, Asa Cross struggles with being the man he knows everyone wants him to be and the man he knows he really is. A leopard doesn’t it change its spots and Asa has always been a predator. He doesn’t want to hurt those who love and rely on him, especially one luscious arresting cop who suddenly seems to be interested in him for far more than his penchant for breaking the law. But letting go of old habits is hard, and it’s easy to hit bottom when it’s the place you know best.

Royal Hastings is quickly learning what the bottom looks like after a tragic situation at work threatens not only her career but her partner’s life. As a woman who has only ever had a few real friends she’s trying to muddle through her confusion and devastation all alone. Except she can’t stop thinking about the sexy southern bartender she locked up. Crushing on Asa is the last thing she needs but his allure is too strong to resist. His long criminal record can only hurt her already shaky career and chasing after a guy who has no respect for the law or himself can only end in heartbreak.

A longtime criminal and a cop together just seems so wrong . . . but for Asa and Royal, being wrong together is the only right choice to make.

Asa is the last of the Marked Men series. It’s a sad day. BUT, Jay Crownover is writing a spinoff series called The Saints of Denver. YAY! I feel like the description of Asa above is kind of deceptive. Asa is struggling with who he is. He still feels like the same guy he was before, the criminal, the scam artist. People keep telling him that he’s changed, but he doesn’t see it. He’s trying to be good. But deep down he feels like he’s going to slip up eventually. And truthfully, I expected him to slip up or at least be tempted with a bit more than he was. But everyone else was right, deep down, he really has changed.

Also, Royal’s part of the description was a bit deceptive. She can’t stop thinking about Asa because she feels like he’d be the perfect distraction for her having to process and deal with the guilt she feels over her partner getting injured on duty. Royal really just wants a one night stand with Asa—at first. And Asa nails it on the head that in some ways, Royal wants this as a punishment to herself, not because she actually wants him. And this is something that I struggled with. I’m tired of new adult books that start with a physical/sexual attraction only. I would have really hoped that Asa and Royal could have delved into some emotional stuff before going there physically.

I was trucking along and enjoying Asa but I predicted several things pretty early on. And then of course I get to about the 70% mark and stupidity enters the picture. The conflict seemed so….easily fixable and easily avoidable. I think this is a trap that new adult books fall into often. There has to be something for the couple to overcome so the smallest things are turned into these huge issues that could easily be addressed or even avoided altogether. Throw in that Royal’s partner and best friend turns out to be gay, and now I’m officially rolling my eyes. Come on guys! Is it no longer possible for a boy and a girl to be best friends without one of them ending up gay?

Favorite quotes:

-“Every time I can’t seem to figure out where I’m going lately I always end up wherever you are.”

-I didn’t remember easy feeling so suffocating.

-There was always something appealing about a man that looked like he could take care of business, no matter what that business might be.

Asa had some frustrations for me. It was a book that I finished in two days, so it was an easy read. I didn’t spend too much time overanalyzing this one because I was in the mood for light, fast, and fun, even if I knew it would have some things that would make me roll my eyes. In the end, Asa gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read Asa? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday, May 10, 2015

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~
It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

The past week was good. Husband was off work all week. Wednesday, I had an all-day training class, and when I got home Husband had finished the floor in my laundry room. I'm so excited. Friday, we were both off work and had lots of running around to do. First of all, Friday was our 6th Anniversary. I had a doctor's appointment and an ultrasound, so we were able to see Baby. Little one was very active. We were looking to find out the gender, and the ultrasound tech gave us an "I think it's a...", but we go back in two weeks for another ultrasound to verify gender. Later Friday night, we took my nephew to see the new Avengers movie. That was fun. Saturday, I got my hair trimmed and highlighted. Happy Mother's Day!

Monday: Review of Asa (Marked Men, # 6) by Jay Crownover
Tuesday: Top Ten Authors I'd Like to Meet
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday
Thursday: Review of World After (Penryn & the End of Days, # 2) by Susan Ee
Friday: Discussions Only We Know

Don’t forget to sign up for the 2015 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15, 2015 to sign up. Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with an end of the year giveaway too! Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Armed with two years' worth of savings and the need to experience life outside the bubble of her Oregon small town, twenty-five-year old Amber Welles is prepared for anything. Except dying in Dublin. Had it not been for the bravery of a stranger, she might have. But he takes off before she has the chance to offer her gratitude.

Twenty-four-year-old River Delaney is rattled. No one was supposed to get hurt. But then that American tourist showed up. He couldn't let her die, but he also couldn't risk being identified at the scene—so, he ran. Back to his everyday life of running his family’s pub. Only, everyday life is getting more and more complicated, thanks to his brother, Aengus, and his criminal associations. When the American girl tracks River down, he quickly realizes how much he likes her, how wrong she is for him. And how dangerous it is to have her around. Chasing her off would be the smart move.

Maybe it's because he saved her life, or maybe it's because he's completely different from everything she's left behind, but Amber finds herself chasing after River Delaney. Amber isn’t the kind of girl to chase after anyone.

And River isn't the kind of guy she'd want to catch.

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

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About Me

I wear my hair up alot - grew up a bit of a tom boy. With one brother and one sister, I played football with the boys as much as barbie dolls with the girls. I love romance and I married my best friend. God has blessed me. And I want to return the favor.

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